St Joseph's Catholic Church

Bishop Thornton, Harrogate

Fr Maurice Pearce

 

Father Pearce has moved from St Gianna Beretta Molla Parish in Armley, Leeds and taken up residence in the Presbytery at Our Lady Immaculate in Pateley Bridge from where he will also be serving the parish of St Joseph’s Church.

Father Maurice says: “I thought of the Priesthood very early, this was to do with family influences. But things did not go smoothly and I did not get ordained until I was 39. My work as a priest has been mainly in parishes, although I had a spell of 8 years being chaplain to the Bradford hospitals, but I was a parish priest at the same time. The place I spent most time was Bradford, thirteen years in all, eleven of those years in one parish, you become quite attached. All the rest have been short stays, there have been six parishes to date. My current appointments will bump it up to seven and eight, I hope it doesn`t get into double figures.”